Partners In Crime

Chapter 43: The Crooked Path

The ghosts sat inside Ronin's shop in Stiix. Aria tapped her fingers on the table impatiently as Lloyd stood at the door.

"Are you sure he's going to follow through?" Morro questions, breaking the silence.

"He was a good dog in the past," Lloyd replies "he'd be foolish not to listen this time."

"Heh, I like what you've done with the place." Ronin walked into the room with the Sword of Sanctuary "Pretty gusty making your hideout right here in Stiix. With this much water, they'd never come looking for you here."

"I've never been afraid of anything." Morro replies as Ghoultar takes the sword from Ronin.

Lloyd closes the door behind Ronin, making him jump.

Ghoultar examines the sword "The sword is no fake."

"Huh" Morro takes the sword "For once, the crook makes good" he stabs the sword on the map "Ha! The Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master."

"Now what about my soul?" Ronin asks as he turns to Lloyd "The deal was you'd remove the curse and free me."

"You can have your soul, but the deal has changed." Lloyd replies.

"We want the ninja too." Morro tells him

"Whoa, now hold on" Ronin takes a step back "A deal's a deal but what so you care about the ninja? I thought you said you weren't afraid of them."

"I'm not," Morro responds "but they'll only get in the way."

"Forget it, I'll keep my cursed soul." Ronin turns to walk away "The sword's one thing but my friends are another."

"Since when do you have friends?" Bansha comments and everyone laughs at him.

"Forget this," Ronin scoffs and stops when he sees Lloyd standing in front of the door. "Ugh, I don't care if you own my soul. I did my part!"

"You don't seem to understand Ronin," Aria speaks.

Ronin turned to see her facing him, in her seat with her legs crossed one over the other. Ronin stared into her eyes seeing a look that sent shivers down his spine, a look he had almost been able to forget as all former Deltorian's did.

"I'm a very impatient woman and a very greedy one at that." Aria says "When I say bark, you bark. When I say lick the floor like the dog you are, you do it."

Ronin took a step back and bumped into Lloyd, the ghost knights snickered at his actions.

"Tyrant," Ronin grits his teeth.

"So when I say, get on your knees and beg." Aria's eyes glow purple as her lips curled into a smirk "do it."

Ronin was suddenly on his knees at Aria's feet as he shook with shame and embarrassment.

"Hehe," Aria smiles "good boy Ronin."

"She has no idea, how much power her words hold." Rima mutters to Hanabusa who nods in responds.

"Now that's our princess," Shiki says proudly.

-

Aria and Lloyd stood by Reika's cage as a guard while Morro possessed Ronin's body to send a fake message to the ninja.

"You're both so lucky I'm too weak to do anything," Reika threatens.

"Why? Are you jealous of the treatment I gave Ronin?" Aria questions "Don't worry, I'll be sure to rough you up a bit too."

"Ah," Reika looked down "damn it."

"Aria, stop." Lloyd says as he smacks her over the head.

"Owie," Aria whines "What'd you do that for?"